The U.K. government has announced a new package of measures aimed at alleviating the struggles the country’s fishing industry has faced post-Brexit.
According to the U.K. Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), the latest reforms – unveiled on 17 July, 2023 – will enable the industry to seize on opportunities from existing outside of the European Union. It said measures will involve the introduction of a “world-class system of fisheries management” that draws on the best available science and the expertise of U.K. fishers to ensure fish stocks remain healthy and sustainable.
Aiming to help an industry beleaguered by labor woes, logistical red tape, and disputes with the E.U. regarding fishing rights following the U.K.’s departure from the E.U., the new system will rely on fisheries management plans (FMPs), which Defra said are essentially blueprints for how best to manage fish stocks.
Defra immediately published the first six plans, which include strategies for crab and lobster, whelk, king scallops, bass, non-quota demersal stocks, and southern North Sea and Eastern English Channel mixed flatfish.
Developed over 18 months, the objective of the FMPs is to deliver on commitments originally codified in the U.K. Fisheries Act of 2020. They include measures that both protect stocks, such as seasonal closures or the implementation of scientific studies, and long-term approaches that reference up-to-date scientific evidence. U.K. authorities aim to eventually put forth 43 FMPs.
The newly announced strategy also outlines support for small vessels (under 10 meters) by removing a cap on quotas to which they must adhere, opening up more potential income for smaller businesses, according to Defra. More than 400 such vessels in England are currently subject to a 350-kilogram limit regarding the amount of finfish they can haul in annually. Defra is looking to permanently remove the cap starting 1 January, 2024.
There will also be a consultation authorizing the government’s vision for remote electronic monitoring (REM) in British waters, which will outline the government’s proposed approach and its next steps. REM systems include cameras, gear sensors, and GPS units. Defra states that these technologies can gather data, such as the amount, size, and species of fish caught, while vessels are at sea. They will also have the ability to record information on accidental bycatch of seabirds or marine mammals.
U.K. Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey said the reforms “mark a clear departure from the outdated Common Fisheries Policy [CFP]” that the E.U. has in place and “will deliver [on] the U.K.’s ambition to build a modern, resilient, and profitable fishing industry.”
National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) Chief Executive Mike Cohen said the measures will strengthen fishing businesses and enhance their sustainable growth, resulting in tangible benefits.
“Fisheries management plans represent a genuinely ambitious attempt to break away from the unsuccessful, top-down impositions of the CFP and unite fishers, scientists, and regulators in building something new and better,” he said. “Fishermen’s livelihoods depend on healthy seas and sensible regulations; we welcome this opportunity to collaborate in shaping them.”
Other government initiatives include a new approach to managing discards in England and awarding a further GBP 45.6 million (USD 58.3 million, EUR 53.2 million) from the U.K. Seafood Fund to modernize infrastructure across the sector – with the Fleetwood Fish Merchants Association, Milford Haven Port Authority, and Shoreham Port among the beneficiaries. In recent years, the fund has been investing GBP 100 million (USD 128 million, EUR 116.6 million) into driving fisheries innovation, supporting job creation, and boosting exports to new markets, with GBP 21 million (USD 26.9 million, EUR 24.5 million) of the new investment going toward 14 Scottish projects.
“The fund is a crucial part of our commitment to help level up coastal communities and deliver the prime minister’s priorities of growing the economy and creating better-paid jobs across the country,” U.K. Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said. “We are supporting fishing communities across the U.K. so they benefit from better infrastructure, new jobs, and investment in skills to ensure they have a long-term and sustainable future.”
Funding is also available for the catching sector to replace or modernize engines in an attempt to reduce emissions, improve reliability, and enable technological testing.
Defra said in 2015, the E.U. introduced a ban on discarding unwanted catch back into the sea, but evidence has shown that it has not been as effective as intended. Therefore, the U.K. is developing a new approach to managing discards, with proposals including better accounting measures that entail counting all fish catches against quota to ensure adherence to agreed-upon U.K. limits.
The department said it will also work with industry groups and stakeholders to develop measures that result in the avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch, particularly through more selective fishing gear.
Photo courtesy of the office of John Lamont
